How do I best utilize Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H : SATAexpress, PCIe for SATA or m.2 -one SSD for boot, a second smaller for PS?

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pchaplo

pchaplo

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I am ready to build i5-4690K on new Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H, Win7 Pro, 16GB 1866 ram. I plan to use a 240GB SATA Drive for boot. In the past (XP SP3 4gbRAM), I used a SSD for dedicated scratch drive (for Photoshop) and it helped noticeable. I am a professional photographer doing still photography with large numbers of images to process. Will using a second SSD (perhaps internal 40gb in PCIe slot) still be an advantage? I think it will but please comment. I see afforable small SSD cards such as this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167196 -- will that work on my GA-Z97X-UD5H? I see that my mobo changes the PCIe arrangement depending on how you use the slots -- for example if I use M.2 I lose another option; opportunity cost. Also, do I need to have this secondard card installed when I first load the OS? Is that the meaning of "post"? I read somewhere that its best to have and PCIe storage in place when you "post" -- not sure if that applies to PCIe SATA or m.2. Then there is SATA Express on this board. I am an artist not a computer expert, so please offer your expertise on best option in your opinion on these two areas:
1) SSD for boot drive - SATA, SATAexpress, or m.2 (most bang for buck)
2) How to best arrange a smaller SSD for dedicated boot drive on this Gigabyte board.
Pardon me if I misused terms or misunderstand options.Thanks, Paul
 
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matt1-0-1

Think of mSATA as an older version of m.2. Your motherboard will not accept an mSATA SSD. The Gigabyte motherboard will accept m.2 drives up to 80mm in length (i.e. 2280). You can buy PCI-E SSDs, but they are expensive and generally reserved for enterprise, I...
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matt1-0-1

matt1-0-1

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1. The SSD that is linked is an mSATA model. Your motherboard will only accept those with the m.2 interface
2. You are better off just buying a normal SATA ssd to use as a scratch drive - that will give you the best bang for your buck
3. To set up a smaller SSD as a bootdrive, all you need to do is put your OS onto it, and then select the drive when you first boot up your machine. All other drives should show up in windows explorer.
4. HOWEVER it could be easier for you just to buy a larger SSD (the 512GB Crucial MX100 is a good choice) and just use that for all your photos, applications etc.
Hope this helped :)
 
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pchaplo

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Thanks, Matt1-0-1. That helps. Seems the m.2 drives are more rare, but on this Gigabyte board, SATA storage can be use in a PCIe slot--I just dont fully understand which SATA SSD cards will fit.
 
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matt1-0-1

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You would connect a SATA drive (i.e. the Crucial MX100) with a SATA DATA cable to the motherboard. It doesn't go in a PCI-E slot. m.2 2280 is the form factor (22mm wide 80mm long). m.2 is the interface.
 
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pchaplo

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Right. Just wondering: if I go with the m.2 -- on the Gigbyte board is the 2280 the correct form factor? Other than that, I believe this mobo can take a SSD card into a PCIe slot -- is that a "mSATA SSD board"? ...I am not sure and very much on the learning curve.
 
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matt1-0-1

matt1-0-1

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Think of mSATA as an older version of m.2. Your motherboard will not accept an mSATA SSD. The Gigabyte motherboard will accept m.2 drives up to 80mm in length (i.e. 2280). You can buy PCI-E SSDs, but they are expensive and generally reserved for enterprise, I wouldn't recommend one for your use scenario.
 
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pchaplo

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Ooooh! I had to study this response to understand fully. I see [sad epiphany] mSATA will NOT fit in PCIe. Darn. I see now that mSATA reviews are by laptop owners, and indeed PCIe SATA cards are pricey. Okay one more question: m.2 drives as you said come in different lengths. I found these two:
1. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KLTPSKM
2. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EC50A0O
Will these fit in my Gigabyte mobo that has m.2 capability?

Update:
performance-03.jpg

The connector look a little different than the m.2 cards I see Newegg and Amazon. The picture shows two groups of metal contacts in the socket, the cards from Newegg etc show THREE [pardon caps] of conductors.
Also, I read from Gigabyte website:
"(M.2, SATA Express, and SATA3 4/5 connectors can only be used one at a time. The SATA3 4/5 connectors will become unavailable when an M.2 SSD is installed.)"
So that means I lose more than one SATA 3 "channels" or connectors if I use m.2? How many do I lose? Two?

 
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matt1-0-1

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In order to fully utilise m.2, it is better to get a drive that connects directly to the CPU (through PCI-E) lanes, rather than the ones that you linked, that go through the motherboard, and are just normal SATA3. These drives will suit your needs well:
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-XP941-256GB-PCIe-MZHPU256HCGL/dp/B00J9V53M6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418073529&sr=8-1&keywords=samsung+xp941 (this is the fastest)
http://www.amazon.com/Plextor-Series-256GB-Internal-PX-G256M6e/dp/B00KIMIETO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418073558&sr=8-1&keywords=plextor+m.2
A better option than the ones that you linked are just a standard 2.5" SATA SSD, such as a Crucial MX100 - the ones that you linked will fit, but are a bit of a waste of money.
If you do end up using an m.2 drive, as the Gigabyte website says, you will not be able to use two of the sata ports.
 
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pchaplo

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Hey Matt1-0-1, thanks for the good info. I went the SATA SSD route and learned alot from reading your answers, looking at the Gbyte mobo features and Newegg ads :) Many thanks!
 
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